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Savannah R‑III reviews Title I spending and reading success plan; staff outline next steps
Summary
District staff reviewed Title I program allocation and the literacy (Reading Success) plan, noting that over 95% of Title I funds go to instructional support and describing family engagement and progress‑monitoring plans; staff committed to providing additional data on students served.
District staff reviewed the Savannah R‑III Title I program and the district reading plan during the board’s October meeting, summarizing how federal Title I funds are used and outlining next steps on literacy supports.
A staff presenter explained that Title I is the district’s largest federal aid program for schools that meet thresholds for economically disadvantaged students and that the district currently uses the schoolwide model to support all students, particularly low achievers. The presenter stated that more than 95% of Title I funding is allocated to instructional staff salaries and benefits and that the district has five Title I teachers allocated across qualifying buildings and the early learning center.
Staff discussed eligibility thresholds and said two elementary buildings meet the 40% free‑and‑reduced‑price lunch threshold cited in the presentation (one building’s percentage was cited at about 43%; another figure given was about 34.7). The presenter explained that private‑school equitable services and supports for homeless students are reserved as required by federal rules, and described parent engagement events used to gather stakeholder input.
On literacy, staff described the Reading Success Plan (RSP) as the district’s working literacy framework pending state guidance on a comprehensive literacy plan. Joanna Hayes summarized the vision as "creating a culture of literacy" and staff said they will hold four trainings this year, meet monthly with a literacy team and continue to monitor progress. When asked for counts of students on the Reading Success Plan, staff said they did not have a complete percentage at the meeting but offered to provide those numbers on request (one building cited roughly 115 of 570 students in a referenced screen sample).
Board members heard that the district will provide more regular reporting and will incorporate learning and assessment data into quarterly reviews. The presentation emphasized instructional investment and family engagement strategies rather than changes to staffing levels at the meeting.
Staff indicated they will share the detailed plan materials and student counts with board members after the meeting.
